Sax Master

構成数 : 1
合計収録時間 : 00:00:00
Personnel includes: George Benson (tenor saxophone); Gary Schunk (piano); Don Mayberry (bass); Tom Brown (drums). Based on his lively performances here, Detroit saxophone veteran George Benson is going strong at age 60. His alto sound is very much in line with his influences: the smoothness of Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter, as well as Phil Woods. On tenor, his sly cunning recalls Dexter Gordon, but there's a baritone inflection that suggests Pepper Adams. Benson is not a slave to any of these fashions, and his musical voice reflects it. The swift, salt-and-pepper pianistics of Gary Schunk, steady pulsing bass tones from Don Mayberry, and reliable rhythmic accents from Tom Brown give Benson a first-class springboard to dive into these 12 well-known, swing-to-bop standards. Benson digs in midtempo with tenor on the sweet and soulful "Some of These Days," using just a touch of vibrato. There are old-timey numbers like "Ja Da" and "My Melancholy Baby," showing that the leader has not forgotten his roots. Then there's the succulent romanticism of "I Surrender Dear" and the easy, extended bossa on "The Shadow of Your Smile." Benson can also easily hit faster tempos as on "After You've Gone" and "Just the Way You Look Tonight," spurred on by Schunk's mastery of the more boppish nomenclature. Perhaps where Benson shines brightest is in interpretation -- "For Heaven's Sake" has his alto reaching for those cloud castles, using unique staggered and clipped phrases to full effect, while "Lullaby of the Leaves" is impressive on several harmonic and sonic levels. Taste, class, chops, and spirit are all infused in one of the jazz world's great missing links. ~ Michael G. Nastos
録音 : ステレオ (Studio)